1. Field of Invention
The invention set forth herein relates to condensate collecting and elimination devices, of the type most commonly found in pneumatic air systems, and is primarily intended to be a dependable protection device for the absolute prevention, and the preclusion, of extensive quantities, of water, or other liquids, from entering to within the lines, and the controls, and the devices and machineries, of a pneumatic system.
Pneumatic air-driven, or dependant machineries, have evolved to be widely accepted and extensively depended upon to perform a multitude of varied and diversified functions in industrial manufacturing, and in many types of commercial operations. In many instances, the widespread use of pneumatic equipment in industry may be attributed unto the fact that it still remains to be one of the most practical ways of performing numerous functions, over any other means. The technology in these systems, particularly in area of pneumatic controls, has become significantly advanced, and is continually being improved upon.
A number of pneumatic systems commonly utilize devices primarily intended to capture, and sometimes expel, liquids that would be potentially extremely harmful to the controls, and machineries, of the pneumatic equipment, before they enter into the pneumatic system, such as condensed water and accumulated oils. These liquids generally tend to accumulate, over a period of time, in the air compression equipment, during the compression of air, or other semi-saturated fluids, of which the pneumatic equipment operation is dependant upon, and would otherwise usually be passed into the pneumatic devices through the inlet lines.
Many, if not most, people knowledgeable in the art would probably agree that one of the principal causes of major failure of pneumatic equipment is the presence of extensive amounts of water, or other liquids, entering within the controls and devices of the pneumatic system. Equipment failures of this type are unnecessary, and many times, through improper equipment operation, result in substantial amounts of lost productivity and wasted energy. This reflects the inability of the common devises to actually prevent extensive amounts of water, or other liquids, from entering to within the pneumatic system.
2. Description Of Prior Art
Heretofore, a variety of devices have been implemented on pneumatic systems to capture, and sometimes expel, liquids before they enter to within the pneumatic equipment.
One such type is a condensate collecting and discharging device having a reservoir, with a rotary valve communicating the reservoir, which is motor driven, so as the reservoir may be drained by operation of the valve as provided by the motor.
Another such type is a drain device to remove collecting water, or other liquids, and sludge, from compressed air systems having a rotor within a housing, the rotor being tunable within the housing, so as to open bleeder valves when the rotor is aligned with a discharge line.
And yet another such type is a drain valve particularly adapted for draining water or other liquids from the bowl of a filter for pneumatic systems. The valve has a stem in a passage which is deflectable by manual bending of the body to unseat the valve, to initiate drainage.
And still yet another such type is a filter device having areservoir which liquids collect within during operation of the pneumatic system. A pressure sensitive piston allows a valve apparatus, being located at the bottom of the reservoir, to open when the air flow is decreased, thereby effecting the discharge of liquids from within the reservoir.
Upon considering the prior mentioned devises, the ability has not been demonstrated to actually prevent the intrusion of extensive amounts of water, or other liquids, from entering to within the devices of a pneumatic system. In a circumstance where the volume of liquid might be larger than these devises could capture, or expel, an extensive amount of liquid would not be prevented from continuing to enter within the devices of the pneumatic system, whereupon in many cases, causing severe malfunction of the equipment, and considerable amounts of wasted energy, through improper equipment operation.
Consequently, it may be seen, that a need exists for a dependable liquid intrusion prevention device primarily intended to actually block, and prevent, extensive amounts of water, and other liquids, from entering within the conceivably sensitive controls and devices of the pneumatic systems, to protect the pneumatic equipment, and to promote efficient operation, and energy consumption.